I am not a craftsy person. I don’t paint or draw well at all unless stick figures count. I also have never taken up knitting or crochet. In short, when I want to give thoughtful gifts that stay within our gift budget, I have to look elsewhere for ideas. I’ve started thinking outside the box. Here are some frugal gift ideas I have found work for almost anybody.

Credit Card Rewards

I know that some people in the world of personal finance see credit cards as the work of the devil, but I love them. Specifically, rewards credit cards help keep my world sane and give me a little extra to boot. My husband and I use the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Visa for gas to get the 5% cash back and the Discover More credit card for almost everything else. Discover gives us cash back that can be exchanged for cash or gift certificates to places we go anyway.

I use some of that cash back each year to buy a few gift cards and certificates that can be used for general gifts. For example, $20 can buy a $25 gift card to Kohl’s, Bath and Body Works, or 2 movie tickets and small popcorns to AMC. $45 can buy a $50 gift card to Starbucks, Dillard’s, or even Best Buy. Any of those cards or certificates makes a great present for most of our friends and family.(Click to continue reading…)